Pioneer of the Week: Nikki Thomas of Nikki Thomas Coaching

I am a pioneer for those working 9-5. I help ambitious professionals create and design a career true to them.

I live in London but am working to build a global network.

My purpose is to make sure no one has a job they hate.

Tell us about your business. How did it start? Did you set it up alone or with a team?I set it up on my own about a year ago and it has grown so much. I originally worked as a life coach helped women with their career and life.

From there, I started to really understand what left both men and women feeling stuck in their careers. I started on the path of career advancement and never looked back.

What do you love most about running your own business?The challenge. Carrie Green once said being an entrepreneur is similar to riding a rollercoaster in the dark, and I feel that all the time. I have days of pure elation when a plan comes together and I have days where I wonder what I was thinking. Having my own business has pushed me and I have grown so much as a person. It has taken me out of my comfort zone and I love the endless opportunity, possibility and belief I have found in myself by embarking on the journey. You learn endlessly.

Tell us about a challenging experience you’ve faced in the process of starting up your business and how you overcame it.Everything has been challenging! I came into it quite naïve. I set up the business with little finance and using an HP mini netbook on a fold-up wooden chair in my kitchen. At the beginning I had to learn everything from scratch - and I had to realise I had to ask for help. I needed help with accounting, tech, building a website, etc. I needed to start from the very beginning.

What advice could you give to other start-ups about starting up in your industry?Setbacks never mean you should give up. By running this business I ate through my savings, made some massive mistakes, got completely overwhelmed and burnt myself out - and that was all in a year! But I remember that the only reason people don’t succeed is because they give up. Giving up is not an option. Always remember why you do what you do. I put all my client testimonials on my wall to remind me that I am going in the right direction. Can you share an experience that really helped you take your business forward?It sounds cliché but the experience that changed my business was getting a coach. I was a complete novice in business and needed help. I needed someone who had been where I was and wasn’t too far ahead to show me how they started. I also joined a group programme to meet other entrepreneurs in the same boat. Then I didn't feel alone. The same happened when I attended the Virgin Media Pioneers events – it's about meeting others like you. Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely place. But you are not doing it on your own.

Many people start their businesses at home, where do you work? What do you love about it? I work at home but try to venture out often to the Hoxton Hotel for a change of scenery. It also means I’m around others and can people-watch. It's a wonderful atmosphere in which to work.

I also hold VIP intensive coaching sessions at the Mondrian London Hotel which is a beautiful place to work. It really helps elevate creativity when working with a client.

What are three things you know now, that you wish someone had told you when you first started?

Don’t compare yourself to others – they are on a different journey. You work at your own pace.

Always manage your cash flow.

Make sure you invest in your technology! Starting a business with a netbook and a shoddy workspace is very difficult.

Is there anything specific you’d like to ask or share with the Virgin Media Pioneers community?How many of you are running your businesses alongside a 9-5 job?

To be an entrepreneur…you need sheer determination and to be a little bit crazy.